Jewelry Care
Are we really supposed to clean our jewelry? And if so, how? Cleaning jewelry has never been a thought for me, in fact, until recently, I had never cleaned jewelry aside from the occasional pair of earrings if my ears are feeling sensitive. However, I have never cleaned a necklace, nor a ring or a bracelet. But considering where jewelry is worn, it would make sense that after a certain amount of time there would be build-up of things like lotion and skin (yuck, I know). So, how often should you should be giving your jewelry a refresh, and using what method? That answer really depends on the type of jewelry and how often you wear it.
Jewelry you wear daily: According to the Jewelry appraisers at Biltmore, you should wash jewelry you wear daily about once per week.
Jewelry you don't wear as often: For jewelry you only wear for special occasions or every now-and-then, a cleaning every 6 months to 1 year should be a sufficient cleaning schedule.
Silver jewelry: For silver, wipes are available that remove tarnish as well as polish. DIY is an option as well, including toothpaste and dish soap. If you want to use toothpaste, simply rub white toothpaste onto jewelry, rinse with warm water, and dry/buff. For dish soap, mix a few drops with warm water and wipe jewelry with a cloth dipped in the solution. Rinse with cool water and dry/buff. (McDonough & Forte)
Gold jewelry: Mix a couple drops of dish soap into warm water. Put your jewelry into a colander and let soak in the mixture for 5 minutes. After, go over with a soft toothbrush in order to remove anything that might be stuck in the crevices. Put everything back into the colander and rinse. To finish off, simply dry and buff.
Costume jewelry: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT SOAK. Costume jewelry is often made from gluing pieces rather than setting pieces. For this reason, soaking could dissolve the glue and lead to your jewelry falling apart, oh no! I would recommend using a dry cotton swap to clean. Dipping the cotton swap or a cloth into a mixture of dish detergent and water would be acceptable to clean areas that are not held together with clue.
Thanks for tuning in spooky people!
Any recommendations, tips, or ticks? Leave them in the comments below!
Sources:
Biltmore. How Often Should You Clean Your Jewelry? https://www.biltmoreloanandjewelry.com/blog/often-clean-jewelry/
Lauren Smith McDonough & Carolyn Forte. Good Housekeeping Institute. How to Clean Your Jewelry Like a Pro. May 7, 2019. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a25736/how-to-clean-jewelry/